Living the Dream

 Years ago, I resolved never to set New Year's Resolutions again, but to instead focus on Dreams!  During this course I essentially took the biggest business risk I've ever taken and opened my very first store.  A year and a half ago I joined my sons in making our vendor tent at Evermore a pursuit of a dream.   It wasn't just a day-dream. It was how do we make this little dream come true.  Every week we would talk about what went well, and what we could improve on.  This weekly meeting has been consistent.  There is always new ideas and products and leather patterns to try.  We started out selling 3-D printed dice displays and leather bracers.  Over the course of a year and a half we've added, 3D printed dragons and dice towers, leather pauldrons, baldrics, belts, warrior belts, wand holsters, sword frogs, belt bags, and more.  And we've increased our yearly sales from $38,000 to (dare I say this dream) nearly 200,000.  Today at the close of day we were $96 dollars away from that milestone.   

What a ride this past year plus has been.  I went back to college and pursued the dream of being financially independent.  Two years ago I couldn't even get an interview to get a job.  The one and only place that did interview me didn't hire me.  Well today I'm the one helping make the hiring decisions.  I'm officially living the dream.  

Somehow the blessing keep pouring in.  We set goals and are blown away when we meet and exceed those goals. Last fall I started buying products from a supplier in India that provides us with leather bags and books.  We've grown enough that they want us to be their return hub for products sold in America.  If someone buys one of their products on Amazon and then decides that they don't want it, instead of paying to have it shipped back to India they send it to us.   If we can sell it we split the profits with the maker.  How incredible is that. 

My husband was able to use some Microsoft Alumni sway to get us a wholesale agreement to purchase Dungeons and Dragons products directly to sell in our store.  Another blessing associated with living the dream.

We've been able to provide services, like paint your miniatures night, play for free at our tables, etc.  Because of the free offer, people are coming out of the woodwork to support our store.  They pay it forward with time, miniatures to use while playing etc.

Through our blessings we've been able to bless other small start-up companies.  We bought these gaming tables, and purchase atmosphere candles from new companies.  I've realized that sharing the blessings of dreams is what makes me want to keep dreaming.  Seeing the smiles when people walk in our store makes me think, 'Wow'!  

This dream is real and ever evolving.  It's terrifying and thrilling, and full of so many WoW moments I keep pinching myself.  I'm beyond grateful that I'm sharing this dream with two of my boys.  

Come January 1st, I won't need to make New Year's Resolutions because I'm already living the Dream!

Gratitude

 

It seems I'm daily amazed at how my entrepreneurial journey is going.  This week we learned that we made the top 5 of a business launch we applied for.  Which means of 80 brand new businesses that applied for mentors we were enough to really be considered.  We also secured rights to sell Wizards of the Coast DnD supplies wholesale in our store.  And we are amazed by all the local artisans who continue to come to us seeing if we could carry their items.  It's been one tender mercy after another.  

And I'm beyond grateful.

Today we held our first big event.  A Larp in the Tavern.  And the store was full.  People not only visited but they stayed the whole 3 plus hours of the event.

I'm grateful for the friends and acquaintances of my sons who volunteered their time to be our quest givers.

The Knight

The Rouge

My familiar pirate playing Liars Dice with our adventurers.

The Bards who had the whole room singing along with "The Wellerman" and other appropriate shanties. 

And the Wizard who had followers deciphering codes about dragons.

Wow, Wow, and Wow!

I think this LARP in the Tavern will be a monthly gathering.  I'm so grateful to have found my crowd of Fantasy lovers here in Utah.  

I know there will be days where it gets hard.  Friday I spent 15 hours in the car driving to pick up new gaming tables.  Not fun, especially driving through a snow storm which probably added 3 hours onto my journey.  But I'm grateful the tables and I returned home in good shape although extremely tired.

And tonight my husband is taking my place at Evermore so I could be home completing my college homework.  So grateful.  

I can't wait to see what fantastical adventures happen next.

What's a Business For?

I have to admit to being so incredibly busy since opening our store.  But it's the blissful busy of discovering all the new ways to learn things.  I've overwhelmed with gratitude for these people here. They make the learning fun.  They are so supportive they even gave up their traditional Thanksgiving to eat at Chuck-O-Rama so that we would have time to finally rest from the constant go, go, go.

 

I've found myself working 12-14 hour days, except Sunday since we've opened.  Although it's physically exhausting, we've met all our goals of earning and even found some magic.  I'm working so hard because this is to help my family.

In our reading this week for school we read the article, 'What's a Business For?'  If it's to just make money then chances are it will not succeed.  I feel like we've created a business that will make the world a better place.  I've had numerous examples with experiences we've encountered at our store in the short time it's been open.  

One experience was when a small group of special needs adults and their able-bodied helpers came into our store.  One non-verbal lady in a wheelchair looked thoroughly grumpy about being taken along on the outing, as she was wheeled into our store.  By the time she was moved from the storefront to the rear of the store where the gaming tables were you could see a visible change coming over her.  The grumpy expression and jerky, defiant arm thrusts were replace with peals of giggles and laughter, and clapping of hands.  Why?  The atmosphere of our store which, is set up as a Medieval gathering place had worked a little magic into her.  She was transported from a social outing to a magical Medieval tavern.  I gave her and her companions tiny pocket dragons which I usually reserve for little kids so they don't get into trouble for touching stuff from their parents.  Ten minutes after they left our store the whole bus load of special needs adults came into our establishments requesting pocket dragons too.  Each different colored dragon I give out has a special meaning.  I tell them the green dragons are supposed to help you remember things, the pink dragon helps you remember to be kind, the blue dragon is the dragon of creativity and imagination, etc.  Our store is a place we've set up where everyone can feel welcome, escape the pressures of the world by creating a fantasy, and playing games.  Here I was having a magical experience with some truly wonderful people who really needed that break.  

Another wonderful experience we had was when this gentleman came in and donated hundreds of hand painted miniatures to our store for players to play with for free.  We've encountered some of the most generous people who want our business to succeed and who give their time and talents to help others along the way, asking nothing in return.  

I feel we are succeeding,  even when people come in and don't buy anything, they leave with huge smiles on their faces and we often hear them telling each other that they need to bring so and so back.  

The article we read for school talks about how if you create a business that will make the world a better place then your chances of succeeding are better than if you just create a business to make money.  I feel we are on the right track, and even though this journey can be exhausting, so far it's always been happy.

 

Better than Dreaming

Saturday was a day of Dream fulfillment.  We opened our first store.  The Grand Opening was more than spectacular, from the ribbon cutting with a sword, to a line of around 250 people waiting to get into our store.  Wow!  Words cannot describe our amazement and gratitude for all the support. 

This dream has been in the works for 2 years and our friend Chris prompted us earlier this year to go for it.  So here we are. Princess and Hope couldn't come because of Covid.  

We were all overwhelmed with gratitude for so much support.  

 Lea even stepped in on her day off to help for our Grand Opening.

We want our store to be a fun place for people of all levels of geekiness to come hang out, play games, have fun, and feel safe.  Light-hearted signs seem to help.

The name 'Geek Together' originally was a description of our family of Geeks, who each supplied a different item for our vendor tent started at Evermore.  Evo-man and I were the leather Geeks, Abner was the DnD and 3-D printer geek,  Prince Erik was the Magic Geek, Lea was the Rune Engraved Stones and Wire Artist Geek, T-Rev was the Wand Geek, Hope was the Sticker Geek, and Princess was Candle Geek.  But our store has expanded to try and help support the wonderful community of Local Geeky Artists we have come to know and love.  Sea Dragon Cove, who not only made our incredible store sign, also contributed their slate engraved coasters and freeze-dried candy.  GMDice has some amazing dice and unforgettable Gaming atmosphere candles.  Other local artists we highlight are Shielded Empire, Uber Dungeons, Petulant Puggies, Madame M Apothecary, Dwarven Fire Forge, Die Hard Dice, ValRock Miniatures, and more.

Because of the long line, our whole family pitched in.  Prince Erik had to help us run our new POS system.

The store was busy the entire day, and we had to stagger entrance for all the guests.  Some waited another hour or more to come in.

T-rev, our Dice Wizard ran free games of Liars Dice.

My parents traveled down from Idaho to cheer us on and my sisters Sandy and Chante, along with my mom stepped into the back room to help us restock when shelves got low.

Of course, we came away after day one with a lot of thoughts, where to improve lighting, displays, signs, etc.  It will be a never ending learning, this business of walking out our door to see where adventure takes us.  I'm beyond blessed that this guy calls me Captain and is so supportive.

Our company heart has to be Abner.  He is our face, our link, our social media guru.

He's created a system where people can come and learn how to play, and enjoy 'Living the Adventure.'

Evo-man helps with the 'Create Your Fantasy' part of our Mission Statement with his handcrafted Leather armor and accessories.  Finally, a huge thank you to many of our family, friends and partners, some shown here.  Geek's Unite!

Come visit our store in the Provo Towne Center Mall,  second floor, next to the food court.

Finding the Silver Lining

 

In prepping for the opening of our store we borrowed a trailer from our business partner.  Monday, I was taking the last light load from our home to the mall when I noticed a screeching sound a mile from my home.  I pulled over and realized the bolts holding the trailer away from the axel were missing.  Of course I was overwhelmed with anxiety.  What would our partner think?  Would he be upset.  An hour and a half later he met me with a trailer repair service and I was immediately grateful we have such a forgiving and amazing business partner.  Turns out this whole mishap was a tender mercy.  Two bolts that were not properly tightened at the factory fell out, but it happened on a slow street with a light trailer load.  Had it happened on the freeway or with a heavy load the results could have been disastrous.  So this unexpected event which lifted my anxiety to the boiling point was really proof that I was indeed blessed.  The trailer was jacked up, the bolts were replaced with no damage at all.  A tender mercy was discovered and gratitude was felt on my part for such a gracious business partner.

Tuesday, things went from stressful to mega stressful.  My son tested positive for Covid.  I was really counting on him full time to help get ready for our store opening.  Our only full time employee was now out of the picture.  Thursday two more kids tested positive.  How am I going to do everything that needs to be done and get it done on time?  How am I going to help my daughter who got Covid the day before her school play premiered.   She lives for theater and now she is sidelined and may miss the whole run.  

Find gratitude.  How can that be possible?  My husband is in India with his work so it's just me to take care of sick adult and teenage kids, and set up a new store.  Here is what I came up with.  I'm grateful that I got Covid last month.  I've been able to slowly regain my health and I know what to do to take care of my family and limit my exposure to getting it a second time.  I'm grateful they are sick this week.  Had they been sick next week then they would not be able to participate in our store opening.  I'm grateful that I've been trying so hard to do so well in school.  It made the choice to focus on family, and business and have school take a backseat for this week easier.  It's been hard not having the time to work on what I want to, but I have worked on what I've needed too.  

I've been able to update inventory prior to store opening.

Prep our tent for Aurora Season at Evermore

I've been blessed to have a contractor working for us that could pick up a little more in order to help us get ready.

I've been blessed to find other entrepreneurs and use their talents to add the the atmosphere of our store.

It's happening.  Somehow, our store will open and it will open on time.  Everything might not be perfect, but we will get what needed done.  How does this tie into this weeks reading with college about disciple leadership.  Well to be honest, I'm not sure.  But I know putting my family first is a start.

Fighting Dragons

 So this week in school we learned about fighting dragons.  Some can leave their mark.  My Covid turned into pneumonia and my sweet husband took me to Urgent Care because my cough was non-stop.  The medicine they gave has been helping.   I'm into this illness a month and realize that I was one of the few that got the long-haul version of Covid.  I don't know when I'll get my old energy back or when the hack will be gone.  It's been a battle non-stop with this dragon. 

The part that frustrates me the most is that I have a brand new store to put together and no energy to do it.  Fortunately I have some world-class help.  Evo-man and Abner have been working non-stop to help me achieve this dream we share.

Yesterday Evo-man burned 40 crates and we rearranged them and our other displays to make a Soda/Candy Counter in our new gaming store.

Here is another dragon that the previous store tenants left - this beast of a stage/closet.  Well it's a dragon I can't tackle on my own so we asked for help.

Abner put out a call on TikTok asking for help in our store.  And guess who showed up...

We were thinking we may get 5 or 6 people.  But the first wave of over 30 people (most we have never met in person) had in less than an hour and a half, washed 40 chairs, took apart that monster stage, moved the closet, painted 4 sections of slat wall, removed soundproof tiles from a display wall, built 2 Ikea tables, put up a 9 ft Christmas tree and added lights, put together dice goodie bags and so, so much more.  More and more people kept coming and offering to help so we painted another storage bin.  It was incredible how many total strangers showed up just to be apart of a store that will help draw people together through Table top gaming.  Amazing!  

So it's ok to ask for help.  Just be willing to be overwhelmed with gratitude!  We slew that dragon!

Information Overload

 This week in school we read a synopsis of Covey's book, 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People'.  We also gave a book report of George Leonard's book 'Mastery'.  My brain is spinning.  I love what I'm learning, but I have to say I'm learning it so quickly there is no time left to incorporate all the wonderful things I am learning.  Say you give an old dog 25 new treats.  He gobbles them up so quickly he doesn't know which one is his favorite.  How is he supposed to eat them all and enjoy them.   I know, horrible analogy.

So I spent literally 10 hours this week reading, taking meticulous notes, studying the notes, writing a 800 page book report.  I love this stuff, but I have to admit that I hate the tests.  They don't grade you on the important principles you should learn but twist certain aspects of wording in what we learned and hope you get the answers wrong.  The tests are full of trick questions and I've never gotten all the answers right even with my zeal for note taking.  

So I'm applying the dreaded test taking to my business.  I'm not going to get everything right.  No matter how long I spend trying to learn every nuance, accounting tool, display idea.  I can learn until I'm blue in the face, but I can't wait until I'm perfect in knowledge to take the step of just doing.  I've got to move forward and do.  I'd love to say I'm incorporating every wonderful idea I read about, but in truth I have the mental brain power to say incorporate maybe one good idea out of thirty.  

In the meantime. I'm compiling a nice little collection of books I want to re-read.

Add to that, even more notebooks full of wonderful ideas.

I want to revisit them when I have more time.  I hate the word someday.  I equate it with never. Some distant date, set in the far future when I'll then incorporate all I really want to.  I tell myself after college, but I'm sure I'll be so busy with my business then that I won't have time then either.

So this post is a bit of a downer.  I want more time to absorb and apply what I'm learning, but feel so overwhelmed with information overload I don't know where to begin.  But then that's life with all about the ups and downs right?  My one take away.  Just Do - move forward, and hope in the future that one more of these great ideas will pop into my head as I'm doing.    

 

Thrilled and Terrified at the Same Time

Don't call Extreme Hoarders on me.  This chaos has a purpose. 

This week I was able to be apart of an event that has me thrilled and terrified at the same time.  We signed papers on our first store.  We have been permanent vendors at Evermore Park for over a year and a half and now we are settling into a permanent home at Provo Towne Center Mall.  Well, we get the keys on the 31st.  Meanwhile our store fixtures and inventory is in my front room, family room and all of Andrew's garage.  

This week in school we learned about more about Mastery or becoming who it is we were meant to be.

Some of the keys to acquiring Mastery are...

1. Instruction - finding your Mr. Myogi (like the Karate Kid's mentor/teacher)  Networking to find someone who can help guide me on my path.

2. Practice - is the endless path of learning on my journey to becoming who I am meant to be.  It requires dedication and the desire to always go above and beyond what's required in learning.

3. Surrender - Being humble enough to recognize you can always learn more.

4. Intentionality - bringing in the mental imagery game.  Creating the vision of what you want and having that vision fuel your desire to get there.  

5. The Edge - Always test the edge of the envelope.  Can you always learn more, be creative, live intentionally.

These keys are never-ending and replay again and again.  

Since I was little I've had a very active, creative imagination.  Now I'm actually getting close to putting that creative and imagination into a store that can help others 'Create their own Fantasy' and 'Live the Adventure'.  Those two phrases are in our mission statement.  My addition is helping people create their own fantasy character through leather costuming.  My boys help with the 'Live the Adventure' in their immersive RPG experiences and accessories.    

I loved revisiting this quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The heights by great men reached and kept

were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept,

were toiling upward in the night.

This dream is years of learning, practice, imagining and creating.  It was also lots of toiling.  Last week I learned that I need to make my health a priority again.  This week I'm taking definitive steps in my entrepreneurial journey.  Wish me luck.

 

The Hero's Journey & That Darn Dragon

 This week in school we learned about Mastery and The Hero's Journey.

Mastery, we were taught, resists definition.  It's recognized instantly in its many varieties.  Mastery is not a destination or the fulfillment of a goal, but it is defined by the process to which the journey to achieve that goal or destination is applied.

The Hero's journey is similar in that it is about the journey or process itself.  It is about becoming, learning how to learn, and how to live a life of meaning.  

Like all great stories of hero's on their journey there are challenges.  Road blocks or obstacles that can make the journey a little less sure, more fraught with stress.  This week I'm going through such a set-back.  One I have successfully avoided for over 2 1/2 years.  But this challenge hit me during my busiest vending season of the year and just a few weeks before my first ever store opens.  This dragon I'm fighting is Covid.  

I'm feeling really crummy, with little to no energy to do everything that needs to be done.  I can't work my leather, clean the house, take kids places, or even navigate the stairs without feeling like I just ran a marathon.  It is discouraging because there is so much to do with my store.  

So like all hero's I'm looking for that light at the end of the tunnel.  That light is the family that has stepped up to help bring me food, continue running the business without my help by adding a little bit more to their own plates.  It is also in turning my focus on what I cannot do to what I still can do.  I can still place orders for inventory, make networking connections through text and email.  And I can still do my online learning for school.  

One of my assignments this week was to set up an imaginary board of directors for my company.  How cool it would be to have Richard Taylor from Weta Workshop, and Walt Disney on my board.  But then I thought back to the people who have helped me become who I am today and I would have to include my amazing Prince Erik, my mom and Solange Vegara on my board.  I need to let those people know how grateful I am for their influence on my life.  

So even though I'm confined to a bed and room while this illness runs it's course, it's nice to have time to reflect on who has helped me become who I am today and who can help me become who I will be someday.  

No Genie Needed!

I don't need a Genie or Fairy Godmother to make my wishes come true.  I can become my own fairy godmother.  I can do this.

This week I did something I haven't done with my business so far and it felt wonderful.  In all of my work I haven't paid myself.  I've put every penny back into the business to help it grow.  I've considered that a blessing, but so many people have been encouraging me to pay myself first and then if I decide to invest, I can.  Well I paid myself and guess where it led.   My happy place - Disneyland.  I was able to pay my own way and join my son and his family as his wife and two kids experienced Disneyland for the first time.  And to my surprise I didn't feel any guilt.  It felt wonderful to reward myself for my hard work this past year.

Something else wonderful happened. Not once, but repeatedly over the two days I spend with Abner's family.  Every time I volunteered to stay with little Mister while Mom, Dad and big sister did rides we had little tender mercies with walk-around characters.  We met, Aladdin, Genie, Buzz Lightyear, Captain America and Jack Sparrow.  

The little girl inside of my was giddy as all get-out.  And you know what?  Sometimes the most meaningful, memorable experiences we can have, come in those unexpected moments of service.  I didn't want to be in my happy place to ride rides, and get autographs.  I wanted to be there so that I could allow my son's family to have those experiences.  And boy was I the one that felt blessed in that.

My hard work with this business allowed me to bless the lives of my son's family and I can think of no greater experience.

This weeks college learning wasn't just snuck in late at night after a long day of walking and a little bit on the plane ride home.  There wasn't a moment where I wasn't serving, working and learning.  Even walking around the magic kingdom, my son and I were gleaning ideas for our store design, marketing, learning from the Master Walt Disney himself.  Disneyland has taken the time to learn how to do it right.  And we were trying to learn even while enjoying the magic. 

Imagine fun seasonal banners like these (minus the bats) hanging in our store.

Something we've been learning about all semester is the importance of good mentors.  At Disneyland we had the best mentor, fairy-Godmother, Prince Erik's sister Gamma Mimi all wrapped in one.  She was the best pro, directing us into which lines were the fastest, the best food, the best walking paths to avoid crowds, how to use the Genie app to skip lines and order food without waiting, etc.  She not only told us, but showed us how to do it.  So the second day when she wasn't with us we were still able to use the skills she taught us and have a successful, fun adventure. I want great mentors for my business as well.  They can guide and direct me as I go and I can take the lesson learned to move forward on my own.

In the Launching Leaders book by Steven A. Hitz (which I highly recommend reading) it says. 

"Your journey through life should be filled with actually tasting and participating in the act of giving, not just hearing about it or watching others do it."

This week I participated, and served and learned and it's made all the difference.